55 Ways to the Wilderness of Southcentral Alaska [Paperback]

Helen Nienhueser (Author), John Wolfe Jr (Author), Nancy Simmerman (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1994

Updated and revised classic guide to year-round hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books; 4th edition (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898863899
• ISBN-13: 978-0898863895
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #325,968 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Skiing > Cross-Country
  • #26 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Nature Travel > Adventure > Skiing

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First book needed for any hiker, January 26, 1999

By 

Gavin Kentch - See all my reviews

This review is from: 55 Ways to the Wilderness of Southcentral Alaska (Paperback)

First, I should say that "for hikes in the vicinity of Anchorage" is a little misleading. Southcentral Alaska includes thousands of square miles worth of gorgeous trails and hikeable terrain, and this book is probably the best one to help you get out there. It includes maps for all hikes, as well as vital statistics like distance, estimated hiking time (take with a grain of salt!), total elevation gain, and seasons that it's open. Indexes in the back help you look for a hike by season, area, length, or children-suitability.

After 17 years in Alaska, ten with the same dog-eared copy of 55 Ways, I haven't been disappointed yet.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just for Locals, April 30, 2000

By 

Greg Henrikson - See all my reviews

This review is from: 55 Ways to the Wilderness of Southcentral Alaska (Paperback)

If you want to see wild Alaska, don't skip over Southcentral just because you see cars and tall buildings in Anchorage. The hikes detailed in this book start on or near the road system. But you're far more likely to see moose, bear, dall sheep, and other wildlife on these trails than in the remote bush. Some of the trails are crowded (by Alaska standards--perhaps six hikers per mile) in the sunny season, but others see very little traffic. And, even on the most crowded trails such as McHugh and Bird Ridge, you escape most other hikers after about a thousand feet. By the time you work your way into the high valleys, you're usually the only one up there. The views are astounding, and the weather far, far nicer than SE or SW Alaska. Worth a look, even if you're only in Anchorage for a few days.